Growing Up

So recently, I found my old report cards. They gave us all a good laugh. But one really jumped out at me. It was my kindergarten report card from the only city school I attended. I don't remember the teacher. I don't remember one kid's name. But! I knew I loved school. So I was curious what the teacher had to say about me, a little quiet student lost in a shuffle of a large city class. Two sentences jumped out:

Tanya has shown a keen interest and enthusiasm in learning. She has developed a special interest in words... and Tanya has shown an interest in our cultural and others. 

I do remember learning about letters and how they made words. It was fascinating. I always loved learning about different places and people, especially my own cultural. Maybe she wrote that on everyone's report cards, but it made me feel at home when I read that.

I don't remember ever reading or seeing that report until now.

Thirty-four years later, I write and I work for a cultural centre. Words and cultural are my world. Isn't it weird that I showed interest in those things that young and it never changed? If you follow the report cards, the only thing that changed was that I grew stronger in math and gym (have any of you almost failed gym class? lol), but always social studies and languages were clearly my favs.

Not long ago my daughter had to do one of those career tests to see what might be the perfect career for her. So for fun I did it with her. What came up? Writing and working in a cultural center. Not even kidding you.

When I was younger I wanted to be Superman's girlfriend. I mean think about it, she was a writer, she got to travel to other places, and well... Superman...

Okay, I see the pattern; words and culture.

Anyway, point is, we can't really change who we are, can we? So what did you want to be when you grew up and how much did you change since you were 5? I apparently am right where I started, only so very much older with still so much to learn about everything. 

Insider Lingo

THE "I NEVER HEARD OF THIS"

So I spent the last few weeks busy playing dance mom. Imagine me with a blank face asking: What is a sock bun? I have to make what in her hair? With a what? Sock in hand, long hair, I tried to do the impossible. Um... Pinterest? Please help me. Turns out it wasn't so hard, thank you Pinterest.

Until then, I had never even heard of a sock bun. Last year I mastered the "high bangs" and "smoky eye", which were just as big a mystery to me. I feel like a pro now. Well, until next year when I have to try something I've never heard of again.

THE "RIGHT WORD"

I recently attended a meeting in a health facility and tossed around the term patient as if I was an insider. Didn't everyone in the health business use the word patient? I got sideways glances. When listening to the others speak in this group, I saw my faux pas. They used the term clients not patients. Oh my. I wasn't using the right word.

Audience, customers, patients, members, clients, patrons, recipients, readers, consumers, buyers, shoppers... each profession has a different term, how to know who uses what?

And the different lingo doesn't end there. Even different parts of our country have different lingo. We wear bunny hugs, whereas others wear pullovers and last week I was in a neighbouring province and saw a sign for a popover. I pulled it from the rack. Looked like a fancy-dancy bunny hug to me.

THE WRITING

When we're writing we want our characters to be firmly planted in their worlds so our readers get involved and forget they're reading. Doc needs to talk to his patients, but the caregiver should visit her clients. Small difference that makes the characters more believable.

GET PROFESSIONAL HELP

So! This is why they say to write what you know. How can I fix this? I can't know everything. But!! I do know others. Asking a lawyer to read a client-lawyer meeting scene and point out the things they would never say or do really opened my eyes. And when all else fails, I turn to Internet Communities. Help is just a click a way, sometimes.

They say it takes a community to raise a family, but I guess, it takes a few communities to write a book, and make a sock bun, and look professional at a meeting... 
 
Any insider lingo that had you stumped? How do you get around it?

This cool book I read has some neat examples of insider lingo